James

Don't know why people keep saying that. Very convenient to forget that when Mort took over, it was him on his own, the chairman's job had responsibility for everything not assigned to the manager. One year on, everything has been split up into various sub divisions, reducing the job responsibilities of the chairman. Today we have: 1) A team of four football experts (Keegan, Veterre, Jimenez and Wise) who will essentially ask for money, and work out the contracts negotiations etc amongst themselves, and have their performance measured by results. The chairman just needs to give them the money. 2) A former Newcastle Racecourse Director on the board, and together with Keegan's input, there is a local input on the board. 3) Mike Ashley, who ultimately sets the targets, controls the boardroom appointments, and holds the purse strings. Llambias will have been at NUFC at least unofficially for a couple of months, he will have been told about what he is inheriting, what he needs to oversee in the short term while he gets up to speed. The chairman's job is now to liase between the board and the owner, and to ensure that the general operations of the club as a business in the leisure industry are as profitable as possible. As a supposed expert in the leisure industry, Llambias should fit in very quickly. The main thing though is that there is zero effect on the pitch. As there are now several of Ashley's staff at the club with clear direction and responsibilities set out for them, there is no reason why the club can't move forward with or without Mort. Chairman doesn't have the permanancy of the days of Shepherd. If Llambias turns out to be a bumbling idiot, he shall get shown the door very swiftly.

Poor Joey! Whilst Rio is picking up the Champions League Trophy he's picking up the Cussons Pearl with matted hair off the shower room floor.

Completely deserved comeuppance for Terry, Drogba and the Chelsea, the cynical referee crowding cunts. Never been more pleased to see a team lose, and never been more pleased to see a player get sent off or a player miss a penalty.

ITV or Sky? Who are people watching and why?

Essien at right back looks like Grant bottling the decision as to which midfielder to leave on the bench.

The final words in the Chairman's End of Season Review look a bit like a final farewell to be honest.

Just looked at Mort's wikipedia. It says that Mort was co-head of the leisure sector at Freshfields, and given that Llambias has also been brought to the club based on his expertise in the leisure industry (plus there is the guy from Newcastle Racecourse with the local knowledge), I think we may be about to swap one for the other. As for worries about going back to square one, everything has been departmentalised now. Mort had to learn everything, now a new chairman would slot into his team, and only worry about stuff that isn't directly connected to what goes on on the pitch.

Yes, lets announce all our target so that Spurs can put us out of our misery.

Retired has he? Well that is another player to take off the list of current internationals playing for Newcastle United.

He is on paternity leave, and he is also meant to have been carrying an injury for the past couple of months that now needs resting.

Could Ben Arfa be a target? He plays in a position where we have been heavily linked with players, and Lyon's chairman Aulas today says he has received bids from Arsenal, a less significant PL club, and Marseille.

Like I said, I think he is telling Arsenal and the other club (please be us) that we have to compete with Marseille trying to replace Nasri, such that they have to raise their stakes.

Aulas says he has received three £12m bids for Ben Arfa. One from Arsenal, one from Marseille, and one from a less significant PL club. He wants Arfa to stay in French football so shall only accept the Marseille bid. I suspect he is angling after the Premier League riches. If the insignificant club is us, we should see what happens if we throw in a few extra million...

Disagree that pre-injury Ashton is over-rated. He certainly isn't as good as Shearer, but I've never seen them as similar players. Do people not remember the Liverpool vs West Ham Cup Final. It would have been remembered for decades as the Ashton final for years to come if Gerrard hadn't gatecrashed it towards the end. You could describe that as a one off game, but for the 18 months or so before, Ashton looked very good when the rest of the team looked good. At times he also looked like one of two (the other being Rooney) English strikers who have the ability to dictate a game. He got injured, and it was an injury that can take a year of playing to find old form, and I feel that many people have watched Ashton this year and said overrated. As I see it, he has done well considering his injury and the team he plays for. Towards the end of the season, I thought he was starting to look like his old self again. The injury makes him a risk, but if he continues in this vein, and a manager like Keegan could get the best out of him on a consistent basis, he could become a player who could make a difference for us and England in big games.

Didn't we recently appoint leisure industry expert Derek Llambias as vice-chairman? And we also have the Newcastle race course guy as a director. Don't forget that Mort started out as vice-chairman until the club were ready to oust Shepherd. As a lawyer apparently specialising in business and finance, Mort has been able to work out the main contractual issues and how they relate to the business and financial situation of the club, and has been able to implement some good ideas. Naivety on the football side has been addressed by installing three directors with various footballing backgrounds. The main day to day issues for Mort, other than the occassional sanctioning of something that probably has to come through Mike Ashley anyway, are all related to the club's role as a leisure business, suggesting that Llambias has been brought here to move the club forward, as Mort has done all he can with his skillset.

Dein is practically back on the Arsenal board anyway as part of one of the takeover attempts there. Kemsley is rich enough to have his own football club, plus has many other interests. I'd doubt he'd want to work full time at NUFC when it wouldn't concern his investments.

We wouldn't have to give West Ham any players. Magnusson has left, and the new chairtman, who was the leading investor anyway has told Curbishley that he has to sell or release about 10-15 players of their 37-man squad.

Any attempts at parole shall be challenged by Spurs.

Why would anyone in the world want the likes of Cole, Drogba, Terry and Lampard to win the Champions League, when it would mean the likes of Giggs and this little fella: http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/m/man_utd/7408010.stm losing.

Would serve him right if he missed the game.

Shepherd and Allardyce signed him.

You have far too much time on your hands james... I do. But it gives me a chance to learn about players, clubs and national sides of which my knowledge is limited. Plus I need to work on my Excel skills.

Only agree to some extent. Another missed pre season though could mean he isn't anywhere near his best until March once again. Assuming we now have to sign someone to make up for this, we'd hope to sign better players, therefore legitimately cancelling Barton's contract to cut the wage bill on a player no-one will want and can't get into our team. Surely you either agree or disagree. What I'm trying to say is that a decision on Barton should be made on footballing reasons, as it could be too costly for us to get rid no matter how badly he has behaved. Footballing wise, we have to consider how long it took him to get fit after missing pre-season. Wasn't anywhere near good enough until March. With that in mind, we need to get a direct replacement. It is possible that we are looking to sign additional players in midfield too. If we get these players, a half fit Barton definitely shouldn't get in the team for all of next season and after another round of signings the following summer, he could be even more in the cold. If we believe this to be true, then we need to consider whether anyone else will pay more than peanuts for him. If they won't what good is having a player on his wages going to do for us financially. In which case, everyone would be better off if we cancelled his contract while we have legitimate grounds. However, if Keegan realistically believes that he'll be better than anyone else once he finds fitness again, we should keep. However, the latter scenario probably means that we haven't done too well in the transfer market.... So you agree then Not about philantropism, yes. That the club should stick by him, maybe not.